The Austrian national Society ÖVSV has responded robustly to a press release by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT)

In July the BMVIT consulted on proposed changes to the regulations for the Amateur Radio Services, such were the concerns raised by the proposed changes that over 550 radio amateurs responded out of the total amateur population of about 6,000.

It is understood the plan to force radio amateurs to renew their call sign every 10 years or else lose the call sign was one area of particular concern.

BMVIT has followed up the original statement with a secondary response dated 17th August 2018 seemingly lumping amateur radio in with "Toys".

The latest press release from BMVIT (Aug 17, 2018) unfortunately confirms our worst fears! Although the statements of section chief Mag. Reichardt were probably intended as reassurance to ward off the many inquiries from the press and politics, the content is factually devastating and wrong.

The amateur radio service is thrown into a pot of cheap radio applications such as remote controls, toys, garage door openers, WiFi, Bluetooth, sports equipment and wireless microphones and equated with CB radio.

Even the described time limit of authorizations - after all for 10 years - is nonsense and certainly no administrative simplification. Without justification, the license granted for an indefinite period of time will be withdrawn here - a circumstance that is also concealed in the BMVIT press release. The talks about regaining the permit were interrupted and not yet continued.